Horizon Forbidden West game is the continuation of Horizon Zero Dawn that is trying to improve upon the first game. There are some major improvements over the original. These improvements make it more engaging and interesting. At the same time, Forbidden West does not have the same impact since the backlog of the first game was more ambitious. Despite having fewer awestruck moments, the game still provides a good experience. It explores the world further by showing parts of the world never seen before. The map has more reminders of the old world. It is not as overwhelming as the first game since it is the continuation of ideas not, the beginning of it. The world has already been established and Horizon Forbidden West focuses on the deeper aspects of the lore.
The game has slow pacing and does not feel as gripping as the first one. It also does not have cool cinematics and score in the opening sequences. It progresses at a slower pace and opens up slowly as players progress. Aloy still feels incomplete about her mother despite knowing her origin. She is still not the leader that we expected her to be in the sequence. The game does not start directly after the events of the first game. It is still a continuation of the story as there is still a lot more. There are some new gameplay elements and mechanics which are a great addition to the game. The new addition Horizon Forbidden West game makes it feel like a true sequel of the original.
Premise
It starts after the events of the first game. The victory at Meridian was not the end of the events as the battle is still not over. While the first game explained how the world became the way it is, the second game focuses on more details. The mystery of Aloy and the world was explained in the first game. Horizon Forbidden West game explains more intricate details since the basic information is already there.
If you want to understand the complete story, then knowing the first game can be important. You can just watch a brief video that explains the event of the first game to understand the story. It will make things smoother and help you understand everything better.
There are grand revelations but they are not as impactful as Zero Dawn. It is understandable since the core mystery of a unique world of the game has already been explained. There is more room for future explanations. Since the mystery of Aloy and the world is out of the way. There is still a sense of shock while exploring and discovering new things about the world. Though the sense of discovery is not as prevalent as it was in the first game.
Characters and Narration
All characters are good with a high amount of details. Even minor character that appears in a single side mission has good facial expressions. Every character model is good and the game does not cut any corners when it comes to character design. It’s setting a bar for the rest of the games to make realistic characters. There are returning characters and new characters which makes the story more interesting.
The story and voice acting are good. However, there is too much lore packed into dialogues. These dialogues sheds the light on the universe and are important to understand the world of the Horizon Forbidden West game. Dialogues can get long which can get boring once you constantly start hearing them. The story is good but its pacing and way of explanation are long. Developers could have explained the lore through exploration and cool cinematics more often. It does not have a good balance between dialogues and lore.
The map is full of activities with lots of side quests. These side quests usually include helping someone and thing like that. Side missions can seem similar but, their purpose and slight changes can make it feel refreshing. There are collectibles and always something extra to do. It has a slow start but becomes better once it opens up despite having long dialogues.
Setting
The game has a fun open world that does not get boring. It is not a UBI Soft type world and each part of it is important with a good sense of discovery. Horizon Forbidden West game world does not seem as unique as it used to be in the first game. The main reason for it is the fact that it has already been established. The shock of seeing a world full of robotic dinosaurs and creatures was more prevalent in the first game since it was our first experience of such a world.
Despite that, it still provides a shocking experience by showing locations never seen before. This time, there is more emphasis on showing the remnants of the old world. It shows you how much the world has changed during these apocalyptic events. You can still easily find every spot on the map just like the original one. Every part of the map looks good and does not feel like an unnecessary part of it.
One of the major addition is underwater exploration. It is a new type of experience that was not part of the first game. There are some awestruck moments during underwater exploration. You will see the world of Horizon in a new way. The underwater exploration also offers a glimpse of the unexplored submerged areas. It feels good since it is not forceful. Most of the time, the game will not force you to be underwater as it is just an additional option. Some plants only grow at the bottom, so it provides you with extra resources as well.
Combat
Combat is one of the interesting aspects of the Horizon Forbidden West game. Taking down the robotic dinosaurs and shooting them on weak spots presents an amazing experience. Aiming is more refined this time. If you are good at it then you can do a lot of damage. You will not feel like controls are holding you back while fighting enemies. You will perform as well as your skills. Some enemies can one-shot you. Depending on the difficulty, even a small enemy can do a lot of damage.
There are new robotic creatures and human enemies which increases the enemy verity. This will force you to approach them differently and learn to take down the new enemy types. There are also some new weapon types that make the arsenal of Aloy even more diverse.
Different weapons and damage types are strong against different parts of enemies. At times, these weapons are overwhelming during combat. There is a shortcut to change between different weapons. However, you would need to weapon selection wheel during combat similar to Doom Eternal. The intense combat can force you to use different weapons to take down enemies.
Attack and Defense
There is not much defense when it comes to evading attacks. The only thing you can do is dodge and run from the attacks. It has been the problem with the series since the first game. Developers could have added more defensive options in the Horizon Forbidden West game.
You can attack head-on or play smart by being tactical. There are multiple ways to approach combat even during human encounters. Unlike the first game, Horizon Forbidden West game human encounters are not all about hiding and shooting. Aloy has more melee attacks which allow her to attack human enemies head-on, unlike the last game. The evolution of human encounters has improved a lot over the previous game in the series.
Skill Tree and Abilities
There are now six different skill trees and depending on your choice they can change how you approach the combat. The game has a decent skill tree and it is generous with points. You can get all the upgrades by the time you reach the end. These skill trees include Warrior, Trapper, Hunter, Survivor, Infiltrator, and Machine Master. Different skill trees impact Aloy’s different aspects.
They let you do powerful melee. Making medicine costs less material and makes them more efficient. One of the skill trees lets you become better with bows by slowing time while aiming, zooming on specific weak points, and things like that. There is a skill tree of stealth that makes you better at stealth. Upgrading different aspects of Aloy will grant abilities such as cloaking, increasing attack power, range, health boost, increase shield, increase critical hit chances, and things like that. If you have enough updates from the start by doing side missions and other activities, you can destroy the enemies. You can just increase the difficulty to keep the game fair. Players can upgrade all their abilities by the time they reach half the game if they play all side activities as they progress.
Special Attacks
Going deeper into the skill tree will unlock super abilities known as Valor. These powerful abilities are an extra resource that can be used to defend or attack. These abilities can turn the tide of combat. You can call a big arrow from the sky that attacks from behind on the weak spot, Fire multiple arrows simultaneously, do 30% more damage with a bow, and other powerful abilities like that.
Activating it will trigger a cool cinematic that makes these moves even more fun. As you play, it will build up energy which will fill your Valor meter. Valor is super energy similar to some other games. Using these powerful abilities will expand the Valor points that you have built up. These abilities can turn the tide of combat and can save you from death. It feels good to use this extra resource and turn the tide of combat.
General Gameplay
Interactions in the Horizon Forbidden West game are good whether it is climbing, meeting NPCs, or whatever else you are doing. Characters are detailed and they don’t seem out of place regardless of how small or big their role is in the game. The map is good with popping colors and everything is more saturated giving an artistic feeling to it. The colors of the game remind me of Ghost of Tsushima. Every part of the map is good with amazing design and visuals.
The world is more engaging and you can see more of the old world in it. The underwater location adds more depth to it and makes the world feel better. Interiors are better and have a lot of verity to them. There is less filler content and the game is dense with different stuff that you can do. There are a lot of new things so exploring the map is not a waste of time. It is rewarding both in terms of playtime and getting something upon completing activities. You will not feel like you are playing the same missions over and over. There are a lot of clothes and apparel that can change the way Aloy looks.
Mobility
Going around on the map is similar but there are two new additions to it. You can now use a grappling hook and glider that opens up more options for environmental transversal. Grappling Hook can pull you towards a ledge during a jump, open vents, and grab objects. It opens up new options to travel and go around on the map.
Grappling hook changes how you travel and interact with biomes. It acts as an extra commodity but can be necessary for certain scenarios. At times, you might need to use multiple resources simultaneously to reach a location. The game will push you to use all your resources during platforming, making it more fun.
There are now more mounts that you can use to travel. You can use a glider to go far while jumping from a high location or reach from one high point to another. Swimming controls are good with a decent amount of underwater exploration.
Parkour is an important part of it if you want to reach different objectives. You have to climb, jump, use the grappling hook, and glider to reach your destination. Just like combat, the Horizon Forbidden West game wants you to be frantic during platforming and going around on the map.
Verdict
Horizon Forbidden West is the continuation of the Horizon series that tries to improve on the concepts of the previous game. The game is interesting, engaging, and adds new stuff that improves many of its aspects. Every part of the map is good and does not feel meaningless, making it an engaging experience. The colors and art design of the game are interesting making it a visually pleasing experience. Horizon Forbidden West has good graphics with emphasis on details of all aspects. The music of the game is not as good as the first one but it is still a lot better. Grappling hook and glider add new gameplay features that were previously not part of the series.
The story of the game is not that gripping as the scale of the conflict does not feel as intense as the first one. There was an immense sense of shock in the original, Forbidden West lacks it. Though it has a sense of shock, it is not as intense as the original. Part of the reason for it is the fact that the world is already established with most mysteries answered. It seems like the game is heavily relying on Zero Dawn. Despite relying on the glory of the last game, it manages to provide a gripping experience. If you want to experience the interesting world of the series Horizon Forbidden West game will provide that to you.
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